Did Karen Read flip the middle finger in court? Video sparks confusion

Karen Read's second-degree murder trial for the death of her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, became contentious when she appeared to flip off the court.

During the cross-examination of Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik on Friday, Karen Read, who is currently standing trial for the second time on charges of second-degree murder in the death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, made headlines when she appeared to display her middle finger in court. The incident added an unexpected moment to an already tense trial, where Read’s actions have been under intense scrutiny.

In her ongoing trial for the murder of boyfriend John O’Keefe, Karen Read faced scrutiny after a video emerged showing her potentially raising her middle finger in court. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, Pool) (AP)

Did Karen Read flip off the middle finger during her trial?

The video, which has since gone viral on social media, comes from the courtroom where Read’s trial was being held on Thursday, May 8. It shows her subtly raising her middle finger while she holds her face in the same hand. In the video, the middle finger is blurred. The movement that caught everyone’s eye came while the witness was reading the texts between her and Brian Higgins in court.

There have also been speculations about whether Read flipped the finger in court or was just scratching her eye, since it only happened briefly. While some give her the benefit of the doubt and believe it was the latter, others went on to guess who she was flipping in the courtroom.

A user wrote on X, “That's towards the judge though”. A second user wrote, “Slow-motion touching her eye.” A third user supported as they wrote, “She’s itching her eye, you idiot!” While another user argued, “That isn't scratching your eye.” A user wrote, “Karen Read freely flipped her middle finger because she feels untouchable.”

About Karen Read’s trial

Read’s first trial, held in 2024, ended in a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. She faces charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter while driving under the influence, and leaving the scene of a collision causing injury or death. These charges stem from the January 2022 death of her boyfriend, O’Keefe, whose body was found outside of a friend’s house following a night of drinking, as reported by Court TV.

The prosecutors argued that the Boston Police Officer’s murder was a result of her anger, as Read knew he was going to break up with her. Thus, she intentionally hit him with her Lexus SUV in the driveway of her friend’s house after drinking. However, the defence stated that she simply dropped O’Keefe at the home, and the murder was committed by someone from inside the home who then left him in the snow.